Death is but the next great adventure
by LairaDumbledore
Summary: We'd all make it though, I knew we would. Life goes on. After all; Death is but the next great adventure.


**A/N: Random inspiration from a tumblr post.**

**You can follow me if you like. (:**

**coldasahole . tumblr . com**

* * *

><p>I didn't lose him, I let him go. I didn't get over him, I moved on. When you truly love someone you never lose them or get over them, they will always mean something to you, so no matter how hard you try; if it was true love, you'll never forget them. And the best you can do is to hope that they come back, but don't you dare spend your life waiting for them.<p>

I've loved the same boy since I first heard of him. My brother came home from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry telling elaborate tales of how him, his new best mate, and the smartest girl he'd ever met found some stone and saved Hogwarts. I love my brother, I do, but I didn't believe him at first. See, he loves to boast, but he's no Victor. A civilian maybe, but no Victor.

But then the story was in the paper the next day and, thus, it was true! My brother, his new best mate, and the smartest girl he'd ever met were heroes! The shocking thing was his new best mate. His name…was _Harry Potter_. I'd heard of him, our parents, and most of the other witches and wizards in the world, told their growing kids about the devastation you-know-who caused on that poor family. He killed his parents, attempted to kill Harry but was destroyed in the process. Why you ask? Because his mother…the smarted girl you'll never _not _meet, bestowed all her love, and power, within him before she died. Saving him.

Like Jesus died for your sins, Lily Potter died for her son.

I was fascinated by this boy; and then in my first year…I became possessed by a book. Strange, I know; but that's wizards for you. Anyway, Harry saved my life and ever since…I've loved him more than any small, boyish red-headed girl should. His other best friend, the smartest girl you'll ever meet, Hermione Granger, told me to move on.

I did what she said of course, dated other boys, pretend being around Harry didn't make my stomach tickle. Albus Dumbledore once said "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." So I stopped dreaming I would one day end up with Harry and we'd run off into our happily forever. Until it happened; Dean Thomas was the boy I'd been dating when I noticed it.

He'd watch me walk in the room, wave at me, smile at me, and he even took my side more often when arguing with Ron. But it hadn't occurred to me why he did it until he and Ron walked in on Dean and I kissing in a _deserted _corridor. He looked venomous, ready to strike him, but he knew better than that. He just broke up the heated argument my brother and I were having and walked off.

Then Dean and I broke up; I was going to tell Harry I knew he had feelings for me, and tell him I felt the same way, but he got detention _right_ before the big Quidditch match. We won of course. While we were celebrating in the Gryffindor common room I saw him come in through the portrait hole. I was going to walk up to him, ask him to talk in private, and if he said no I'd drag him out and _make_ him talk to me.

But I didn't have to do any of that; he kissed me right then and there. And after that, we were together. The best part about it was that Ron was okay with it. For the most part.

And then, as quickly as it had started, it was over. Dumbledore died…and Harry ran. He told me I wouldn't be _safe_ with him. I can take care of myself, I ran after him and almost got attacked by a werewolf. I'm positive I could've handled it. But I can't say I didn't know it was coming.

The next year neither Ron, Harry, nor Hermione were at Hogwarts, and I knew they wouldn't be. It hurt, it was excruciatingly painful to wondering if they were alive. If Harry was dead, surely we'd all know about it, but Ron or Hermione; not so much. It was terrifying. I checked the daily Prophet ever chance I got.

There was a break in at the Ministry and the picture on the front was three normal workers running and then they morphed into Harry, Ron, and Hermione running. Polyjuice potion, what they were doing at the Ministry of Magic I wasn't aware of, but just seeing their beautiful faces put me at ease until my family snatched me out of school.

The next thing I knew, we were called back to Hogwarts, the order, everyone. Harry was there and touching him just barely was enough to stop me from screaming out, latching on, and never letting go again.

But once again, as quickly as I'd gotten him, he was gone. Dead right in front of me, Voldemort wore a disgusting triumphant grin on his face. Hagrid forced to lay Harry at his feet. Neville broke free, killed the awful snake, Nagini, and once again. The war broke free.

It seems like you should live for something, but you never know what's worth living for, and if you do it's taken away; so there you're left wondering how can you live for something if life doesn't give you anything to live for?

Well, I have something to live for. Harry. I would fight until the good over-shown once again. I fired curse after curse, walking backwards. Hitting any and every death eater that crossed my path. The fight was going strong. If I died here, I died for Harry. I died in his name and it would _not _be in vain.

I felt someone against my back and I whirled around, ready to fire at them. "Ginny!" It was George, he had my wrists. He shook me, "Ginny, calm down!"

"You calm down," I scream in his face. "Harry's been murdered. Tonks and Remus are gone." I sucked in a breathe, "Fred is _dead."_

George's already pale fast lost all color. He dropped my hands, his wand falling to the ground. "Ginny," he said. It was barely above a whisper, I was surprised I even heard it from all the noise going on around us.

I watched as George crumbled to his knees. The sight scared me, my older twin brothers never cried. They got through tough situations by cracking jokes. When the joke was exceptionally bad, you just knew they were scared or upset.

And then I crumbled. It's rare that I let myself cry. Having six brother's who constantly pick on you tend to toughen you up. I knelt down in front of my brother and hugged him. He hugged my back tightly, he shook in my arms.

I felt him ball his fists behind my back. It's hard to lose a family member, harder to lose a sibling, and possibly the hardest thing in the world to lose a twin. They fought all the time but I'd never met any two people in my lifetime that knew each other better.

"I'm sorry," I cried quietly to him.

"Me too," He replied.

It wasn't much; but a few carefully arranged words can say more than a thousand.

There was a scream from behind us. I looked quickly to see the staircase falling. I pushed George back as he pulled me forward and we slid out of the way as it came crashing down. I grabbed his wand and shoved it in his still shaking hands.

"Fight, George. We have to fight. We can't let _any _more innocent people die. Do it for Fred. He'd never forgive you if you gave up."

George nodded, he stood up and helped me to my feet. We turned our backs to each other and together we fought.

I saw Bellatrix Lestrange raise her wand to finish Luna Lovegood.

"No!" I screamed and yanked her out of the way as a green curse flew over her head and hit another Death Eater in the middle of his back.

"You-" She shot a curse at me and I dove out of the way, nearly missing.

Hermione ran up and the three of us; Hermione, Luna, and I; battled Bellatrix.

She laughed and cackled loudly as she danced around our hexes. I shot my legendary bat-bogey hex at her and it just missed her right shoulder. She stopped her eyes wide, she turned to me her eyes full of hatred.

"Avada Kedavra!" She screamed, her wand pointed right at my chest.

"No!" I heard several people scream as something pulled me down.

I hit the ground hard, my chin banging the stone floor. I looked behind me, George had dove on top of me. I had missed the killing curse by a centimeter. It was literally so close that there was a burn hole in my shirt on my right shoulder where it had passed.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" I heard my mother yell. George jumped up, pulling me up with him.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" she yelled to us. I watched, my mouth hanging open as my mother, Molly Weasley, dueled Bellatrix Lestrange. It was almost bizarre, it was. I never pegged my mother as a real dueler.

Both woman were fighting to kill, this I was certain of. And the thought of Bellatrix winning made me keel over, almost sick. Luna and Hermione, on either side of me, held me up as they too watched, open mouthed.

"No!" she yelled as George and a few others ran up to help, "Get back! _Get back! _She is mine!"

George did as he was told, obviously afraid to cross his mother at a time like this.

Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching Molly Weasley fight Bellatrix Lestrange and McGonagall, Slughorn, and Kingsley battle Voldemort. Everyone of them seemed impossible to kill, just nearly missing every single curse. I stood, Hermione and Luna both looking back and forth between the two, but my eyes were glued to my mother. She was extraordinary.

I always assumed she was one of the strongest women in the world, having seven kids and all but one being boys, but this…this was proving it.

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, as mad as her master, capering as my mother's curses danced around her. "When mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"

My blood boiled, I had regained my strength, but Luna and Hermione still held my arms, this time restraining me. I wanted to attack her. Wanted Bellatrix to die. Wanted so badly to hurt her.

"You – will – never – touch – our – children – again!" my mother screamed.

Bellatrix laughed, it was shrill and uneven, the sound made my ears hurt.

Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her would-be heart.

Her gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge straight out of her head: For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and everyone roared, except Voldemort. He screamed.

Next everything happened in slow motion, I turned to see Professor McGonagall, Slughorn, and Kingsley blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's fury at the fall of his last, best worshiper exploded with the force of a bomb. He raised his wand and directed it at my mother.

I screamed and someone, somewhere, yelled, "_Protego!_"

It was a familiar voice, so familiar my eyes stung with the reminder. I looked around quickly, knowing I heard his voice. My heart pounded: It couldn't have been him. He's dead, but I had to look.

In the very center of the Great Hall something moved and there was Harry Potter. An Invisibility Cloak, he'd been wearing an Invisibility Cloak.

Everything came back at once, the slow motion was over as soon as it started. I gasped and scream, "Harry!" Several others, seconds after me.

I hugged Hermione as we both wept tears of joy immediately. "HE'S ALIVE!" She yelled, shaking my shoulders.

But the crowd was silenced at once. They were afraid, and silence fell abruptly and completely as Voldemort and Harry looked at each other, and began, at the same moment, to circle each other.

I almost had to laugh as I remembered Harry telling me once, "We are each other, only nothing alike at all." And when I'd asked him what this meant, he'd told me, "I always know his next move. And he always knows mine."

"I don't want anyone else to try and help," Harry said loudly, and in the total silence his voice carried like a trumpet call, but it was music to my ears. My heart swelled just to see him there in front of me. His beautiful face lined with concentration, determination, and above all else, serenity. For what I wasn't sure, but his easiness made me feel safe, "It's got to be like this." He said, "It's got to be me."

And you know what happened next, the speech, Harry asking Voldemort for some remorse, Voldemort refusing, the fight, and the demise.

I sat with my mother, wept over my brother, Tonks, and Lupin, and I kept close to my family the whole night.

The Hogwarts' banners that contained all four colors had been hung all around the Great Hall, and couches, chairs, cots, and small tables had been conjured all over the place. The house-elf's had made food for everyone, though I couldn't see how anyone was hungry. Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown, Professor Snape, and every other innocent person that was killed had all been placed in the center of the hall. All death eaters had been moved outside, Bellatrix Lestrange and Voldemort had been taken, immediately, to the Ministry with Kingsley Shacklebolt.

All the living Death Eaters' had already been escorted to Azkaban. The imperius' all around the world had been lifted. And all that was left was the good.

It wasn't until nearly noon when he finally found me.

I was sitting on the couch, my head on George's shoulder, eyes closed. He held my hand tightly. He hadn't taken his eyes off Fred since battle ended. I was almost certain now that he was asleep with them open.

I felt someone sit down softly beside me. He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and instantly I leaned over and hugged him. The hand that was holding George's stayed there though.

For a while we didn't say anything, just hugged. He smelled of outdoors and sweat mixed with his familiar clean scent. I kept my eyes closed, a billion unspoken words traveled between us in that instance.

"Ginny," he whispered.

Though I didn't smile, I said, "I never get tired of hearing my name come out of your mouth."

"I'm so sorry," He whispered even softer.

"Don't apologize," I whispered, "You don't owe me any explanations."

"I owe you every explanation."

"You don't. You're a hero, Harry. We both knew you weren't going to stop fighting until the very end."

We stayed quiet for another long moment. Finally he kissed my forehead and we broke apart. We just looked at each other. Searching our faces for anything and nothing.

He was beautiful. His green eyes shining with triumph, remorse, misery, and happiness all in two.

"You're beautiful," he said, cupping my chin. He looked into my eyes and I was almost certain we were thinking the same thing.

The silent I love you felt so real. I leaned forward as he did and rested my forehead against his. "I'm still sorry," he said.

"For all the trouble I've caused on your family." He said.

I frowned, "Harry. If it wasn't for you, Ron and I, even my dad, would be dead. None of us could've done anything to save Fred or Tonks and Lupin."

"Promise me something," he said swallowing after another moment of silence.

"Anything," I said quietly.

"Don't ever change."

"Never," I said. He kissed me, just once, quickly. But it had enough passion in it to make my heart skip a beat. He stood up and kissed my forehead again, "I'm going to go walk around for a bit, see what I can do to help clean everything up."

"Harry-" I said before he could walk off. He looked at me and I said, "Everything's already done – Magic makes everything faster, remember?"

"Okay, then I'll go-"

"-Harry," I said calmly, I nodded towards to door, "Get some sleep."

He exhaled slowly and nodded, "get some sleep."

I watched him leave the Great Hall and leaned my head on George's shoulder again.

"He's a good man," George said quietly.

I looked up, his eyes were still on Fred. He was blinking slowly, close to sleep I was sure.

I nodded, "I know."

"He's good for you."

It was silent for a while, until George said, "I'm closing the joke shop."

I looked up at him, "Do you really think Fred would've wanted that?"

"Doesn't matter, does it?"

I frowned, "George."

He sighed quietly, "Not forever…just for now."

I sighed, "Do what you have to do, I guess. I'm here either way."

I looked around the room. My mum and dad were asleep on the couch directly on the other side of Fred from them. Dad was sitting next to the arm of the couch, his arms around my mum, his head was leaned on top of hers, her head on his shoulder.

Ron was towards the back of the room where he and Hermione we laying on a couch. His head was on her collarbone with his eyes closed, his arms around her midsection, and his legs sideways off the couch, knees bent. Hermione was laying on her back, her legs over Ron's but still on the couch, and she was running her hands through his hair and staring at the enchanted ceiling.

Bill and Fleur were on a cot fast asleep. And towards the entrance to the Great Hall, Draco Malfoy and his mother, Narcissa, were sitting at a small table, drinking coffee. They both looked exhausted, though alive. Lucius had been taken to Azkaban as soon as the war had ended and Narcissa looked a bit strained, however, Draco looked relieved.

I looked at the center, where our fallen warriors lain. My heart ached with grief. Tonks and Lupins' newborn son was at home, probably happily playing, oblivious as to the fact that he was now an orphan. I even mourned for my old Professor, though bitter and cold, he did love at some point. The thought of Snape loving Harry's mother when they were kids and never getting to be with her made my heart hurt. To live without love. I cried for Colin Creevey, though he was in my year, he seemed so young. Far too young to die at best. I was sad for Lavender Brown, though she had not been my favorite person in life, she did not deserve to die. And last, I wept for my older Brother._ He_ did not deserve to die and he would be missed for forever.

We'd all make it though, I knew we would. Life goes on. Albus Dumbledore once said, "Don't pity the dead. Pity the living, and above all, those who live without love."

I believed that one-hundred percent. After all; _Death is but the next great adventure._


End file.
